Associates in Christian Counseling

Toxic Faith - An Interview with Dr. Joe Verga

What is toxic faith?

Toxic faith is faith that has become contaminated by something unhealthy or un-Biblical. Emotional problems, superstition, a desire for personal profit, or to manipulate or control would be examples of possible contaminants.

Where would you see contaminated faith?

I believe that toxic faith may be seen on both an institutional as well as a personal level.

Pastors may preach a prosperity gospel, for example. This would not be Biblically sound but people may be drawn into it due to financial need or from a desire to become wealthy.

In an individual, someone who struggles with an anxiety disorder or is obsessive compulsive may reshape their faith because of it. This would also be true of someone who is superstitious. They may believe that their religious practices have to be done a certain way or God will not bless them.

A third example would be someone who uses religiosity to control or manipulate others. This can be seen between adults or parents and children.

How common is toxic faith and what can be done about it?

In our practice, there are two prevalent forms of toxic faith. The first is an individual’s faith that has been contaminated by a mood or personality disorder. The second group are people who come wounded because of the toxic faith of others—either family members, friends, or institutions.

If there is an underlying emotional cause which has reshaped a person’s view of God, they can be encouraged to get counseling. Once the emotional component is addressed, they will be free to develop a sound, healthy faith. If there are other external causes, a person may need to be confronted by someone who can help them see that they have gotten off track or are on a different path from where they began their faith journey.

In either case, the challenge comes because their faith is intertwined with their belief system. A person will feel as if you are trampling on holy ground.

Describe the impact on others…

The impact can be very far reaching. Someone with toxic faith can set up younger believers for failure. Others may become alienated from a community of faith or even from God as a result. There may be great damage to a person’s testimony in the eyes of non-believers. Most importantly, exhibiting toxic faith may make it harder for both believers and non-believers to see who Christ really is. It allows the form of religion to obscure its essence.

In conclusion…

I believe it is important for the church and Christian counselors to be in dialogue with each other so that we may hold one another accountable in our efforts to minister to people and to maintain healthy perspectives.

If you or someone you know struggles with a faith or view of God which may be unhealthy, call 336-896-0065, ext. 203 to schedule an appointment to talk with someone.